macro

Nikon 200mm F/4 Micro testing

The Nikon 200mm F/4 Micro is an old design lens, no stabilisers, no focus drive motors.  So it is quite slow and will get blurry if you are not super steady – I would definitely suggest this lens only to those who are looking for a new challenge underwater or if you’re shooting extremely shy animals.  It’s also quite heavy, but feels solidly built with nice balance when used above water.  There are many reviews on the lens around the internet – if you’re also into dragonflies and other skittish insects this lens will already be on your radar.

By Simon, ago

Which Diopter – Part 3

Day 3 with the Diopters and it’s starting to feel like groundhog day.
Today I had the 45degree viewfinder on, so at least my neck doesnt hurt as I write this.  Today I took down the Noodilab Moby and the SMC2, on the Nikon D500. I’m really enjoying using the crop sensor D500 over my 1Dx, somehow the Nikon colour space just feels much nicer out of the camera on macro photos, and of course the crop is great until you meet up with a hairy frogfish or flamboyant cuttlefish and end up shooting them from over a meter away. Maybe I should bring one of our rental compacts such as the Sony RX100V or Olympus TG4 next time.

By Simon, ago

Which Diopter?

These days it is pretty hard to choose from all the diopters available – you probably have at least one old school one in your kit bag.  The Inon UCL 165 and 330 were the first mass produced diopters specifically for underwater use, before those we had to use slide on single element diopters (woodys diopter), or put a higher quality dual element diopter directly on your lens before you got in the water (Nikon 6T).

By Simon, ago

Marine life and their eggs

The life cycle of fishes and other marine organisms is extremely complex and one blog entry is surely not enough to elaborate this topic. But regardless of the season and dive sites, we can usually see several marine species and their eggs whilst diving in Lembeh. Normally, marine organisms produce large amounts of small eggs that hatch quickly. This produces large populations and therefore a greater chance for species survival.

By Sonja, ago